Month: September 2026

I can’t leave Android because of these 8 hidden features

I’ve been on Android my whole life. But if you ask me why, I can’t point to one big thing or feature. It’s actually all the small stuff I’ve gotten used to over the years — things like clipboard history, reverse wireless charging, app pinning, notification history, and app pairs — that make ditching Android almost impossible for me.

Heck, a few of these are so underrated that even longtime Android users don’t know they exist. I don’t blame them, though. Google just doesn’t talk about these features enough, so this list is my attempt to fix that.Which of these Android features do you think is underrated?

Notification history

If you’ve ever swiped away an important notification — or worse, hit that “Clear all” button by accident — Android has a feature that can bring those notifications back. The only catch is that it’s not enabled by default, which means you’ll need to turn it on before it can start logging anything.

Head to Settings -> Notifications -> Notifications history and turn on the toggle. Once you do, Android will keep a 24-hour log of every notification you get. Interestingly, this can also help you catch WhatsApp or Instagram messages that someone deleted after sending.

App pairs

Split-screen is easily one of Android’s best productivity features. It lets you scroll through Instagram Reels while replying to messages, watch a YouTube video while reading an article, or take notes during a video call. There’s plenty of room to get creative with it. What a lot of people miss, though, is that you don’t have to keep setting up the same combinations manually every time.

Once you have two apps in split-screen, open the recent apps menu, tap the pair icon at the top, and choose Add/Save app pair. This adds a shortcut to your home screen that lets you open both apps in split-screen view with a tap.

Reverse wireless charging

Most high-end Android phones support wireless charging at this point. But some of them, like the Galaxy and Pixel phones, also support reverse wireless charging. This basically turns the back of your phone into a small charging pad for your earbuds, smartwatch, or even another phone. Sure, you can also use a cable for this, and it’s honestly much faster, but if you don’t have one handy, this is a useful alternative.

To use it, enable Wireless power sharing from Settings -> Battery, then place the device you want to charge on the back of the phone. It’s useful in emergencies, though it’s not something I’d suggest you use for everyday charging.

Clipboard history

By default, Android can only remember the last text snippet or the image you copied. Once you copy something else, the previous item is gone. Gboard has a feature that can help with this. Open it inside any app, tap the clipboard icon on the toolbar, and enable Clipboard history.

From then on, everything you copy will show up on this list, and you can paste it whenever you need it. Gboard automatically clears these entries after an hour or so, which means you don’t have to delete them manually. And the best part is that you can also pin specific items you need often, like your phone number, address, email, or anything else you need to paste regularly.

App pinning

App pinning is a feature that can lock your phone to a single app, and it’s honestly one of the easiest ways to make handing your phone to a friend or a kid stress-free. All you have to do is open the recent apps overview, tap the app icon, and choose Pin to screen. If you don’t see the option available, you’ll need to enable it first by following this path: Settings app -> Security & privacy -> More security & privacy -> App pinning -> Use app pinning.

After this, the other person can’t switch apps, check notifications, or even go to the home screen. To get out, swipe up and hold (or press the back button if using 3-button navigation), then unlock the device. I find it perfect while handing my phone to my kid to watch YouTube or play a game.

Circle to Search text actions

Circle to search is hardly a secret, really. But it’s not just for looking up things. One of its most useful tricks is grabbing text from any screen — a screenshot, video frame, or an app that blocks copying.

Long-press the home button or navigation bar to open Circle to Search, then circle or tap the text you want to copy or translate. And it gets better. If you select a phone number or email address, you can tap to start a call or send an email.

Live Caption

Live Caption is a feature that can add subtitles to any video that you’re watching on your phone even when it’s muted. It’s especially handy when you don’t have earbuds and don’t want to disturb people around you. I use it all the time while watching Reels that don’t have subtitles or checking voice notes in public.

It’s technically an accessibility feature, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. You can find it under Settings -> Accessibility -> Hearing enhancements. On most phones, you can also trigger it from the volume panel. The caption box is flexible, too, so you can drag it around the screen to keep it out of the way and change the text style.

Reduce or disable animations

Every time an app opens, a window closes, or a menu slides in, Android plays a short animation to smooth out the transition. They look great, sure, but they also take time and require processing. Speeding up or disabling those animations is a neat way to make your phone feel snappier.

Of course, this isn’t something you need to do on a flagship phone. But if you’ve got a budget Android phone or one that’s struggling to keep up, this is definitely worth trying. This option is tucked away in Android’s Developer Options menu, so you’ll need to enable it first.

Then go to Settings -> System -> Developer options and lower Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. Turning them off entirely cuts animation entirely, which can feel a bit abrupt, but it’ll surely make your phone feel much faster.

That’s my list. I’m honestly surprised Google keeps so many of these buried or switched off by default. Do you have an Android feature like this that you use all the time? 

‘Cheap iPhone deal’: warning over scam sites selling latest Apple mobiles

Criminals exploit demand for iPhone 18 Pro and foldable Duo to trick people eager to get their hands on one

Apple has just launched a range of new iPhones, including a foldable handset, just as you decide it is time to replace your own ageing mobile. But you balk at the £1,199 price tag for the cheapest of the new options.

Searching online for a better price with the words “cheap”, “iPhone” and “deal”, you come across a website which offers an iPhone 18 Pro for a couple of hundred pounds less than the Apple site. You pay for the new phone via a bank transfer and wait for it to arrive.

But the website is a fraud – one of hundreds set up in the days before the new Apple phones were announced – and is designed to scam money out of people eager to get their hands on one of the new handsets.

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable phone, on Wednesday, as well as two new iPhone 18 Pro models.

At the same time, criminals were building up networks of fake sites. Security researchers found a large spike in the number of scam sites registered with “Apple” and “iPhone”, among other keywords, in their domain names.

It is expected that the number will proliferate into the hundreds.

Alexandre François, who investigates scams for the intelligence company WhoisXML API, says the days before and after the announcement of the phones typically see a glut of domain names being registered by criminals. Some are then developed into phishing sites in order to dupe people.

“Some are flagged as dangerous by dozens of security engines, yet they are still absent from the blocklists that browsers and security tools rely on, so for most people nothing stops the page from loading,” he says.

“In each of the last four iPhone launches, domain registrations referencing the new model peaked on ‘keynote day’ – the launch day itself: more than 200 new domains within 24 hours, against zero or one on a normal day.”

What it looks like

The domain names will often include words such as “Apple” and “iPhone 18”. The content of a developed site will look convincingly realistic as fraudsters frequently use AI to mimic genuine retailers.

One site found by François, an iPhone Pro Max, in three different colours, was advertised with claims of an “all-day battery”.

The release of technical specifications following the launch allows fraudsters to build more convincing websites. François says it then “becomes much easier to convince people that what they are looking at is a real iPhone”.

The sites may also claim to offer early access to the devices, as well as cheaper prices. The new iPhone 18 Pro starts at £1,199 officially, while the 18 Pro Max at £1,299, so expect the scam sites to quote prices substantially lower.

As with many scams, fraudsters may give people a deadline to buy – such as a few hours – to encourage them to abandon caution in a bid to land a bargain.

The sites will often only take payment via bank transfer to avoid giving people the protections available when you pay with a debit and credit card.

What to do

Remember what is on sale. So far, the iPhone Duo and the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have been announced – but not the standard iPhone 18. Pages which claim to be selling it now or taking deposits are fakes.

François says Apple does not operate lotteries and does not recruit people to test phones.

Legitimate websites will offer consumers a variety of ways to pay – debit and credit cards among them. Some fraudulent sites will insist payment is made using cryptocurrency, which should act as an immediate red flag.

Apple says its Safari browser has a warning for fraudulent websites that alerts users to phishing or malware sites.

If you find you have given out your financial details, contact your bank and Report Fraud. And then change your passwords.

5 Habits That Help Keep Your Passwords and Other Data Secure

The number of publicly reported data breaches, exposures and leaks increased by 78 percent in 2023 — a leap not altogether expected because of a slight decrease in cases from 2021 to 2022, according to a report from the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center in El Cajon, California.

If your personally identifiable information such as name, address, account numbers, email addresses, health data, login information, Medicare ID, passport numbers, passwords, Social Security number or telephone number was among the more than 350 million records that were copied, inadvertently exposed or even ransomed, taking immediate steps to prevent identity theft is paramount. 

Having your name and address on the dark web might not be much of a problem by itself; that information used to be publicly available in the phonebook. But when scammers can match data with other pieces of information from your life, the risk increases that they could impersonate you elsewhere or target you personally for fraud.

Password security

• How to build a better password

• Members Only: Frustrations

• Using a password manager

• The future of logging in

• Data safety habits to cultivate

Artificial intelligence (AI) helps that linking happen more quickly. Some people last year had data stolen two or more times. The number of people living in the U.S. is less than 340 million, the Census Bureau says.

Even if you’ve managed to slip under the radar of the worldwide web of hackers, you should make a vow to create stronger, more secure passwords to keep your data safe. After you’ve altered your scores of passwords to be lengthy and unique, you’ll still have to take steps to make cybersafety second nature.

1. Know how to lock your docs

If you’re used to writing passwords on sticky notes, you’re not alone. Nearly half of Americans age 50 to 64 say they “always,” “almost always” or “often” write down their passwords, a practice that makes security experts cringe, according to a Pew Research Center survey in October 2023. That percentage jumps to nearly two-thirds of respondents 65 and older.

Rather than writing passwords on a sticky note, some people keep a list of passwords on their computer in a spreadsheet, word processing document or notes app. If you do, encrypt or lock the file.

Here’s how:

On a Windows PC in an open Microsoft Word document, click File | Info | Protect Document | Encrypt with Password. Then create a password.

On a Mac with an open Word document, click on Review | Protect Document in the ribbon atop the story. You can set a password to open or modify the document or both. Hit OK.

For Mac users who have Pages as a built-in word processor, choose  File | Set Password and enter a desired password. You’ll be asked to type it a second time. Apple recommends adding a password hint. You have the option of checking a box to save it to your iCloud Keychain, a built-in password manager for Apple devices, then click Set Password.

2. Change your passwords regularly

If you work or worked recently for a large company, you probably were required to change your password every 90 days. You may have seen a countdown calendar tucked among the many icons on yourcomputer screen.

Cybersecurity experts remain divided on the frequency of modifying passwords, but most suggest every three months. Set a calendar reminder or think about it as part of your routine when the seasons change.

If you learn either through news reports or notification from a company whose systems were hacked that your account was compromised, change that particular password immediately — and maybe some others if you’ve been a password recycler. Don’t delay.

Making minor changes to an old password is not helpful, the National Institute of Standards and Technology says. Attackers can apply the same minor tweaks to gain access to your accounts.

3. Install antimalware apps, keep them updated

If you don’t have antivirus software on your devices, install reputable apps such as Bitdefender, McAfee or Norton, to protect you from ransomware, spyware, Trojan horses, viruses and worms. Device manufacturers, eager to tamp down attacks on their equipment and their reputations, are including more of this security free with purchase.

Whether you decide to add third-party protection for a subscription or stay with what’s free, keep the software updated. You can set your devices to automatically update operating systems and antivirus software, so you don’t have to remember. Set updates for your hardware, too, such as a wireless router and printer.

4. Use two-factor authentication or a VPN

Make it tougher for cybercriminals to access your online accounts by adding a second layer of defense. Multifactor authentication, also known as two-factor authentication, adds a layer of security on top of your password or biometrics with a onetime code typically texted to your mobile phone, sent to your email account or even called via voice bot to your landline telephone.

Or you can opt for a virtual private network (VPN) that connects to a secure, encrypted server, keeping you anonymous and safe even if you’re accessing  public Wi-Fi.

5. Be prepared for your death

After years of online activity, our digital footprints become our legacy of sorts.

Getting your accounts organized and your passwords secure will help your loved ones deal with your affairs when you die.

Some websites and password manager apps let you identify a digital beneficiary to access your accounts. The key is to let that person know in advance, so they’re prepared to follow your wishes and can access your digital vault.